A Holiday Parable

Once upon a time there was a fair maiden who had all her ducks in a row.

This row included:

• making over the house in record time in order to host a holiday tea party for her homeschooling friends,


• baking 200 dozen cookies to give to neighbors and friends and for the cookie exchange,


• creating a year-end letter to rival all others and sending it out in handmade cards with an accompanying family photograph sure to elicit all manner of oohs and aahs,


• purchasing presents for birthdays and Christmas giving,


• wrapping said presents in a timely fashion,


• actually getting any number of decorations out of their boxes and putting them in their places, spending quality time with her family doing all sorts of seasonal activities,


• all while taking care of herself personally.

The duck named Home Renovation plummeted off the roof of the tower of High Expectations, and having totally forgotten she was too old to be doing stuff like that, ended up in a pile of aching bones and dashed deadlines.

The duck named Good Intentions flew right up into the ceiling fan of the Passing of Days, scattering birthday plans, holiday decorations and missed appointments like so many feathers in her wake.

The duck named Norman Rockwell was served on her own platter of Victorian days-gone-by.

The duck named Perfect Timing was devoured by the feline of Surprise! It's the Wrong Size/Color/Model Number!

The duck named Winter Clothing outgrew all her downy coverings and had to flap her naked wings and hide in shame.

The duck named Good Health succumbed to every passing germ and finally decided that simply removing her beak was infinitely more desirable than constantly wiping at it with tissues.

The duck named Holiday Cheer choked on her own Good Will.

The only fowl left remaining after the carnage was the duck named What the Heck. She knew the truth.

There's always Next Year.